This invention relates to mounted cantilever brackets, and particularly, to a mounted cantilever bracket extremely well suited for secure attachment to walls or parapets where maintenance of the fixtures located at the exteriorly extended end of the cantilever has previously been difficult and hazardous.
Mounted cantilever brackets are employed to secure cantilevers that have fixtures attached at their exteriorly extended ends to walls or parapets (hereinafter referred to as "wall"). Mounted cantilever brackets are well-suited for use in outdoor or indoor applications. The supporting components of such mounting brackets are typically made from metal, although plastic, glass-fiber reinforced plastic, composites or treated wood may alternatively be used. The mounting bracket serves several key functions. First, it provides a means for permitting fixtures to be securely displayed on an extension from a wall or roof of a building or similar structure. Such fixtures may be lighting means, ornamental designs, flags, audiovisual devices, and the like. Second, it ensures attachment of the cantilever to the wall of the building or structure while the fixture is prominently exhibited. Third, where the fixture being displayed is a lighting means, it provides a way for light which emanates from the fixture to be distributed in a designated area below on the wall for enhanced illumination, or, alternatively, for it to illuminate broad regions on the horizontal plane below and adjacent the wall or parapet.
Originally, mounted cantilever brackets were engaged to permit fixtures to be viewed as extended from the walls to which they were affixed. However, traditionally mounted cantilever brackets have not permitted fixtures attached to the extended end of cantilevers to be maintained safely and efficiently. Specifically, it was difficult to reposition or realign the cantilever to permit a repair, reconstruction, or replacement of a fixture attached to its extended end.
The degree to which a cantilever secured by a mounting bracket will need to be maneuvered will vary depending on the requirements of the situation. For instance, if the cantilever is a flagpole, the flag can easily be removed using a common pulley mechanism with a cord attached, without the need to move the flagpole itself. However, such a solution would not work if the cantilever were supporting a relatively massive ornamental or lighting fixture. In such a case, it might be desirable to be able to move the cantilever rather than the fixture to permit maintenance or replacement.
The employment of a ladder or a ladder truck to access the fixtures from below may be both inconvenient and impractical because of the height of the exteriorly extended cantilever. Similarly, the use of a scaffold, lowered downward from the roof or higher floor of a tall building or structure to gain access from above introduces safety concerns with respect to the workers performing the job and the pedestrians below who may be injured by a falling object.
One known type of mounted cantilever bracket is mounted on a parapet and a cantilever is attached thereto. Maintenance of the fixture mounted at the end of the extended cantilever could be performed by swinging the cantilever upward so the cantilever is close to the parapet and the fixture is within the worker's reach. Alternatively, the cantilever could be swung sideways, but the fixture would remain outside of the wall, and a maintenance worker would have to perilously lean over the wall and reach down to the fixture. Also, there would be no means of securing the cantilever to the mounted bracket or the parapet while maintenance is performed. Thus, the cantilever may swing back in the direction from which it came, thereby injuring the worker attempting to repair or replace the fixture, or injuring another.
It would be desirable for a mounted cantilever bracket to remain securely fastened to a wall while permitting a cantilever, with a fixture attached thereto, to swivel horizontally, under control, over the wall. It would also be desirable for a mounted cantilever bracket to allow the cantilever to be disengaged from the mounted bracket to permit maintenance or replacement of a fixture attached to the extended end of the cantilever. It would further be desirable for a mounted cantilever bracket to temporarily secure the cantilever when it is so disengaged from the mounted bracket and pivoted horizontally to permit repair or replacement of a fixture attached to the extended end of the cantilever. Finally, it would be desirable for a mounted cantilever bracket to be securely fastened to a wall over which a cantilever extends, and to possess a safety mechanism to prevent the cantilever from swinging uncontrollably if the cantilever were to become disengaged from its mount.